Indonesia not disappointed by PM's no-show

Indonesia not disappointed by PM s no-show - The West Australian

Jakarta is not disappointed Prime Minister Tony Abbott won't attend a Bali meeting that could have warmed relations with Indonesia, but it's unknown when another opportunity will come up.

Mr Abbott accepted Indonesia's invitation to attend the Open Government Partnership forum next week, which would have been an opportunity to mend fences after last year's spying furore.

But late on Friday his office canned the trip, and it's understood the decision was made because Australian authorities are in the process of turning an asylum seeker boat back to Java, a policy deeply unpopular in Indonesia.

Teuku Faizasyah, Indonesian presidential spokesman for foreign affairs, said he viewed Mr Abbott's decision as "notification he could not attend" rather than a "cancellation".

But he didn't know when a future opportunity to meet would arise.

"I think there's no disappointment from the Indonesian government," he said today.

"As for another event, I don't know because I think there's no agenda for a regional or global event chaired by Indonesia in the near future."

At that time he said his talks with his Australian counterpart, Julie Bishop, over a code of conduct to normalise the relationship had taken a more positive trajectory.

Military, police and intelligence cooperation was frozen in November after Indonesia learned Australia's spy agency had been intercepting the mobile phone calls of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife and his inner circle.

Labor is demanding to know why Mr Abbott cancelled the planned trip to Indonesia, accusing him of further straining the relationship with one of Australia's closest neighbours.

Mr Abbott's office has not confirmed why the visit was junked just days before the two leaders were expected to meet on the sidelines of the conference.